Rumor: No long term deal for Trevor Zegras in Anaheim.

If you're a fan of the Anaheim Ducks that was hoping to see star forward Trevor Zegras lock himself into a long term contract with the Ducks this summer, it sounds like you're in for some disappointment.

Although nothing has been officially announced as of yet, on Monday National Hockey League insider Elliotte Friedman revealed that Zegras and the Ducks are unlikely to come to terms on a long term contract extension this summer. Instead Friedman reveals that he believes Zegras' next contract will be a bridge deal.

"Zegras needs a contract for the Ducks and one of the things we're hearing is that's likely to be a bridge deal," said Friedman on the 32 Thoughts Podcast. "It doesn't look like that's gonna be a long term deal. It sounds like Zegras and the Ducks, when it gets done, is going to be a bridge."

That may not be the news that diehard fans of Zegras in Anaheim want to hear but there are a number of reasons that this could be the case, perfectly normal reasons at that. As everyone knows the NHL's salary cap has remained flat for several years and is projected to go up considerably over the next few years, an increase that will by extension mean more money for the players.

By locking himself into a bridge deal, rather than a more long term type of contract, Zegras is setting himself up to cash in on a far more lucrative long term deal once the National Hockey League's cap number has increased significantly. We have seen other players around the league making similar moves, including most recently Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews who signed a 4 year deal in spite of the fact that he would have easily been able to secure himself an 8 year contract had he chosen to do so.

No word from Friedman on what the numbers might look like for Zegras on this short term deal.